Former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is preparing to run for her old 4th Congressional district seat on the Green Party ticket.

Andy Manis, AP Cynthia McKinney, a former congresswoman, ran for president as the Green Party candidate in 2008.

McKinney was defeated by 4th district incumbent Hank Johnson in 2006 after serving six terms in Congress and has kept a low profile since returning to Atlanta from the San Francisco area where she moved in 2007.

Since February she has made a few public appearances in her old district but stayed low key with her plans. She filed paperwork April 2 with the Federal Elections Commission declaring her intention to run.

Tracked down at her mothers home Thursday by a reporter from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, McKinney declined to comment and ordered the reporter off the property.

Last week she was recruiting volunteers to collect the 18,860 signatures of registered voters shell need by August 6 to get on the newly redrawn 4th district ballot, according the Georgia Secretary of States office.

A lightning-rod political figure, McKinney, 55, was defeated in 2006 by Johnson after a much-publicized run-in with a U.S. Capitol police officer and her accusations that the Bush administration may have known beforehand about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In 2008 she won the Green Party nomination and ran for president. McKinney and running mate Rosa Clemente were on the ballot in 31 states, but not Georgia.

The party had hoped with McKinney's name recognition to get at least 5% of the vote so the party would automatically be on the 2012 ballot in all 50 states. She got less than 1 percent of the vote.

In the summer of 2009, McKinney made international news for her involvement in the Free Gaza Movement, during which she was detained after a ship she was aboard carrying humanitarian supplies was stopped by the Israeli Navy for allegedly running a blockade.

Back in Atlanta, McKinneys associates in the Green Party  which she joined in 2007 after quitting the Democratic Party  have closed ranks in support.

Her former Green Party campaign manager, Hugh Esco, said Wednesday he could not confirm McKinney plans to run, as first reported by the Atlanta Progressive News. I would call that report a wild rumor, said Esco.

Frank Redding, a friend of McKinneys late father, former state legislator Billy McKinney, who has known Cynthia since childhood, said Thursday hes not surprised to hear shes back in her old district and making the rounds for a political rebirth.

Shes been around and been more visible and I believe shes going to make a run, though Ive not had a personal conversation with her, said Redding. But anywhere she runs in South Dekalb County shes going to be viable.

The new District 4 contains about two-thirds of DeKalb County including the cities of Stone Mountain and Scottdale, and portions of Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale counties.

Other former supporters question whether McKinney has the resources or enough remaining clout and presence in the district she left six years ago to get the signatures needed to get on the ballot.

Thats going to be the real challenge for her, said John Evans, who handled McKinneys last congressional campaign, in 2006.

Jan Selman, a Decatur political consultant and former McKinney supporter who backed Hank Johnson in 2006, said she still supports Johnson, and doubts most voters will "get off the rail" and vote Green Party, no matter the candidate.

She said she would never underestimate McKinney. "She's a very determined person," said Selman. But we need someone in the 4th district with tenure. Hanks been in there three terms. I cant see that changing right now.

As are most of the voters in her old district. Considering the moronic racist Hank Johnson (Guam tipping over) replaced her and is an improvement, I actually think she has a reasonable chance of getting the seat back. She's a white hating, industry hating, government loving, socialist who feels that every black is entitled to be supported by whites. This attitude is very prevalent in her former district which was specially gerrymandered to ensure that the representative from there would always be black.

12
posted on 04/23/2012 8:10:04 AM PDT
by from occupied ga
(Your government is your most dangerous enemy)

The socialist / communist is everywhere in north america... yet few realize how easy they are to defeat, and how easily they could be relegated into the shadows and closets where they belong... How, you ask, can this be done?...

Allen West has just released a list of over 80 people in the house and senate that are card carrying communists...

take this list, and match it with the district that this commie was elected from...

Commit to spending NO money, that is, not a damn dime in this district, or to any business located in this district..

Now, here is where it gets hard.. most, if not all, professional sports teams are located in communist districts...

I am not asking you to quit supporting your local team, just stop spending money in the district that they are located in... this includes parking lots, bars, restaurants, souvenier stands, food carts, or anything located in the communist district..

You see, commies need cash just like any other organization in the United States of America..

Starve the communists... starve the socialists ( yes, this includes romney, bohner, sontorum, the bushes, the clintons and anyone else who is the enemy )....

If you wish to defeat the communist / socialist empire, it is easy.... just say NO..

24
posted on 04/23/2012 8:22:21 AM PDT
by joe fonebone
(If you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.)

You know you’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer when a person like Hank “Guam will capsize” Johnson is a mental giant compared to you. But please, Crazee Cindy—go right ahead and prove your irrelevance once and for all.

Shes angry and not very bright. As are most of the voters in her old district. Considering the moronic racist Hank Johnson (Guam tipping over) replaced her and is an improvement, I actually think she has a reasonable chance of getting the seat back. She's a white hating, industry hating, government loving, socialist who feels that every black is entitled to be supported by whites. This attitude is very prevalent in her former district which was specially gerrymandered to ensure that the representative from there would always be black

This is so true, and I know because I live in the 4th here in GA. They grabbed the north section of DeKalb County where I live back when the Democrats controlled the state legislature, and the GOP hasn't been able to redraw the district thanks to the racists who keep bringing up the archaic Voting Rights Act here. Luckily the larger areas here are starting to incorporate as cities, and within the next 4 years they will have the chance to finally separate north DeKalb from the 4th. The news that McKinney is running on the Green Party ticket is a good thing, we've been hoping for it actually. The racists idiots that make up the southern half of this county still like her, and it could possibly split the vote enough to allow the GOP to take the 4th. It's a long shot, but it's possible. 12 years ago a black GOP female candidate came within 6 points of McKinney. I will praise the day when the McKinneys and Hank Johnson's of the world aren't representing my district.

30
posted on 04/23/2012 8:32:24 AM PDT
by GOP_Muzik
(If all the world's a stage then I want different lighting)

It was Cynthia, you’ll remember, who punched a congressional security guard who attempted to stop her because she lacked the requisite lapel ID, and she was furious that the guard did not recognize her royal highness.

It was Cynthia, too, who said, “A complete investigation might reveal” that “President Bush or members of his administration have personally profited from the attacks of 9-11.”

Every decent member of Congress should vote not to seat this unworthy jerk.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.